REVIEW: ‘Vulcanizadora’ is bizarrely transfixing
Photo: Vulcanizadora stars, from left, Joel Potrykus and Joshua Burge. Photo courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories / Provided by Trackshot Media with permission.
Joel Potrykus’ new film Vulcanizadora is a two-hander that proves to be a crossover of several genres. There are touches of horror when following two close friends as they traipse into the woods on an unnamed mission. There are definite elements of drama as the ultimate goal of their sojourn is revealed. There’s also the darkest cinematic humor employed in recent memory, almost as if the proceedings being filmed were cartoonish.
Shot with the rawness of a home video, Potrykus’ film stars the director and Joshua Burge. Their characters don’t receive much backstory or exposition, which is probably intentional. Potrykus’ role is the more outré of the two; he’s constantly talking and seemingly having a good time throughout this hike in the Michigan forest. Burge is more silent, clearly upset by the trek and perhaps fearful of what is to come.
What the walk in the woods evolves into is horrifying and sudden and best kept a secret. Vulcanizadora heads into some dark terrain, and then Potrykus’ camera continues with a post-script of how the events in the forest have real-world implications. Again, it’s best not to spoil the experience of catching this flick, but rest assured, it’s melancholic, distressing and bizarre.
Watching Vulcanizadora is like watching The Blair Witch Project meets Clerks. There’s a fascinating rapport between these two friends, and yet dread and doom seem to hover over their shoulders at every step. Yet, as a director and writer, Potrykus doesn’t offer up easy answers or fitting conclusions. He’s examining life and death on different terms. Although his characters and their actions seem extreme, there’s something strangely human and upsettingly familiar about how his creations talk and get on with their business. Vulcanizadora should feel far away because of the horrors it depicts, but it simply doesn’t.
Potrykus has earned an indie following with his unique cinematic adventures, including Ape, Buzzard and Relaxer. (It should be noted that this new film seems to be tied to Buzzard with the same character names used for Potrykus and Burge.) Audiences have responded to his tales of discerning dismay with acceptance and curiosity. The same goes with Vulcanizadora, which had a healthy run at New York City’s IFC Center, and Potrykus recently signed autographs for fans at the newly opened Nite Owl Video in Brooklyn. He has created a dedicated fan base, and this new entry in his catalog is a welcome next step in the cinematic universe he has created and the issues he likes to explore.
Vulcanizadora is never an easy watch, but the film commands one’s attention. Thanks to its believable acting and twisty plot, the unsettling feeling that pervades the picture feels real and earned. One has to appreciate the lengths by which the writer-director-star is willing to trek into the heart of darkness in the middle of the Michigan woods.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Vulcanizadora, written and directed by Joel Potrykus, stars Potrykus and Joshua Burge. Running time: 85 minutes. Now playing in movie theaters from Oscilloscope Laboratories. Rating: 
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